{
  "id": 5978474,
  "title": "Pantanal: Tackling climate change depends on five other biomes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/pantanal-tackling-climate-change-depends-on-five-other-biomes",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-06T12:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Agencia Brasil",
    "slug": "agencia-brasil",
    "url": "https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/en/meio-ambiente/noticia/2026-08/pantanal-tackling-climate-change-depends-five-other-biomes"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Pantanal, the largest tropical wetland in the world, is a unique eco-system that is greatly influenced by and interconnected with other Brazilian biomes. The biome's water supply originates from several neighboring ecosystems, including the Cerrado, Amazon, and Atlantic Forest in Brazil, along with the Chaco and Bosque Chiquitano in Bolivia and Paraguay. This intricate web of water systems gives the Pantanal its stunning diversity but also makes it highly sensitive to climate change impacts.\n\nHowever, the Pantanal is experiencing significant environmental changes, primarily due to water loss. Over the past decades, more than a million hectares of its flooded savanna have been lost, with 84 percent of the wetland savanna that once existed completely converted to other vegetation types. The remaining water bodies are now shallow and have drastically reduced river networks, causing parts of rivers to have disappeared entirely.\n\nLocal conservationists, like Cyntia Santos from WWF-Brazil, emphasize the need for action to address this issue. The Pantanal's issues are linked to those of surrounding biomes, and its health reflects the overall well-being of the region. One such project involves restoring headwater areas within indigenous territories, aiming to ensure that the water flowing into the Pantanal also maintains the productivity of the Cerrado.\n\nAdditionally, local communities such as the Santa Tereza quilombo in Figueirão, Mato Grosso do Sul, are participating in efforts to restore springs and conserve riverbanks. By responsibly collecting and selling seeds, these communities contribute to a larger network aimed at preserving the region's biodiversity and river health.\n\nFurthermore, projects are underway to raise awareness about alternative water uses, like small hydroelectric plants, to avoid fragmenting rivers and harming aquatic biodiversity. Traditional knowledge, especially from indigenous communities, plays a crucial role in these restoration efforts. Their insights help optimize strategies and foster collaboration to protect the Pantanal and its surrounding biomes.",
  "summary": "Small in size but vast in its capacity to sustain life, the Pantanal is the biome most influenced by neighboring ecosystems and borders the Cerrado, the Amazon, and the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, as well as the Chaco and Bosque Chiquitano in Bolivia and Paraguay. This characteristic makes the Pantanal a vast reservoir of water and life, with water flowing long distances to reach the world’s…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}